European Football Championship 2024: Advertising regulators urge responsible advertising
The 2024 European Football Championship is about to start, but before the fun begins, the British advertising regulator ASA gets involved - as always when it comes to gambling! The ASA has put out a bunch of rules for gambling providers and sports betting operators. They should be careful how they advertise. Last week they published a list of what operators should not do. They found it particularly funny when someone misused the European Championships as a publicity stunt.
So, be careful: When you advertise betting and gambling, it shouldn't look like UEFA and national teams are your BFFs. No fake friends, people! Unless, of course, you actually do something together with them, for example as a sponsor.
The ASA has also said that racist and discriminatory advertising is unacceptable. So, no stupid sayings about other countries or people. No gender stereotypes either, please! Yes if you apologize with “It was just fun!”, that doesn’t count. No excuses!
Ah yes, and one more thing: No advertising with people under 25. Footballers are also taboo. Above all, they can't be the stars that the kids think are great. Yes no advertising that encourages bad behavior or thinks violence is cool.
If you're not sure whether your advertising is okay, you can ask the ASA. They can't give legal advice, but they will look at your ad before you put it out there. Nobody knows exactly how many people do this. But it's better to ask too much than to receive a warning!
How does UEFA view advertising?
UEFA, the big bosses of European football, have set a few rules. They want to make sure no one eats their cake without asking! UEFA is, so to speak, the boss of the whole Euro football thing. They have protected their brand, from the EM logo to the official mascot Albärt™. Yes if you think you can just advertise it, oh no, you have to get a license from UEFA first.
So if you think, “Yes, I want to make money from the EM advertising too!”, then be careful! UEFA is very strict about it. If you use their stuff without permission, they can punish you really badly. Yes believe me, UEFA has sharp lawyers!
So what can you do? Well, you could do a great discount like “Every goal gets 1% off!” or “Fan sausage for 3,50 euros”. Sounds cool, right? But, and this is important, you cannot pretend to be an official partner of UEFA. That could be trouble!
In short, be smart with your advertising. If you're not sure if your idea is okay, ask a lawyer. It's better to be on the safe side before UEFA comes after you!
